Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, with the series poised at 1-1. With games in Melbourne and Sydney to come, many even fancied India to win the series. However, the comeback of a certain player for the final two Tests swung the tide in favour of the hosts, leading to a 3-1 series win in the end. That player was pacer Scott Boland. Looking back, Ashwin felt that had Boland not played, India would’ve won the series.
Boland took 21 wickets in three Tests in the series, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker. He starred, in particular, in the final Test, picking up 10 wickets and being named the ‘Player of the Match’.
Ashwin deduced that Josh Hazlewood‘s injury, which allowed Boland to come back into the side for the final two Tests, was a blessing in disguise.
“Everyone said that Pat Cummins had a great series, but he struggled against left-handers. Australia were lucky that Scott Boland came into the team. If Boland hadn’t played, India would’ve won the series,” Ashwin said, speaking on his Hindi YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.
“No offence to Josh Hazlewood; he’s a fantastic bowler. But if they continued with the same attack, we would’ve won. Boland’s round-the-wicket deliveries to our left-handers were a major factor,” Ashwin added.
India’s batting lineup in Test cricket is packed with left-handers in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Boland dismissed Jaiswal and Pant a couple of times in the series, whilst also regularly feasting on Virat Kohli‘s wicket.
At 35, Boland may already be at the business end of his career, but has made himself a real contender to break into Australia’s famed pace trio for good. In 13 Tests, Boland has taken 56 wickets at an astonishing average of just 17.66.